This simple and delicious Spanish Almond Cake is one of the most popular desserts in Spain. This recipe combines ground almonds, sugar and eggs to create a moist and tender cake that can be made at home in about 1 hour.
The traditional spanish recipe does not contain wheat flour, only ground almonds. Therefore, the cake is gluten-free.
Making this cake is really easy and the result will blow you away, if you keep this in mind: do not overmix the batter and do not bake the cake for too long. The cake shouldn’t be dry.
Tools & Equipment
- 18cm/7-inch springform pan
- Cutting board
- Lemon squeezer
- Microplane
- Sharp knife
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Almonds: For best results use raw & peeled almonds. You can toast them in the oven for a more intense almond flavor. Feel free to grind the almonds yourself in a food processor or simply use store-bought ground almonds.
Orange Zest: I used the zest of an orange to get the perfect orange flavor. You can add less or more, depending on your own preference. You can also use lemon zest instead of orange zest.
Liqueur: Adding liqueur provides moisture. You can use vodka, cointreau, amaretto or grappa. If you do not want to use alcohol, you can alternatively use vanilla, lemon or almond extract. I used lemon extract for this recipe.
Ingredients for Spanish Almond Cake
Directions – How to Make Spanish Almond Cake
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F and grease an 18cm/7-inch springform pan. Wash the orange, remove the zest and squeeze the juice. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the eggs on medium speed until foamy, for about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Slowly add the sugar on high speed and mix until the mixture reaches a nice volume, for about 2 minutes. Add the ground almonds, orange zest, orange juice…
…and lemon extract. Gently fold in with a silicone spatula until everything is well combined.
Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. It is okay if the center of the cake is still a little moist.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Run a knife around the rim of the springform pan to release the cake from the pan. Transfer the cake to a platter, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Store leftover cake wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze slices of the cake placed in a zipper bag or in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
My Summary for Spanish Almond Cake
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: The almond and orange flavor really stand out in this spanish almond cake. The texture is moist, soft and tender. A simple and yet delightful cake.
Time: It takes about 20 minutes to prepare the batter. Baking time is between 40-45 minutes and cooling takes about 1 hour.
